Abstract:
The settlers of the Maldives came from many lands, but in the battle for survival in difficult
conditions, they melded together into one nation. In a country that is more sea than land, they
learned to live in harmony with the ocean, developing a unique culture suitable to their environment.
Oral traditions, evidence from archaeological sites, some available historical documents and foreign
notices, serve to prove that in the past they were one of the most nautical of all the countries on the
Indian Ocean rim. They learned to use the monsoon winds to their advantage during journeys to
distant places. By the fourth century of the first millennium, they had navigational knowledge and
sea-going craft which enabled them to undertake long voyages The Maldivians discovered the
money cowrie in their islands and used it for trade with neighbouring countries. Fishing was the
main economic activity and the chief exports consisted of cowries, coir rope, fish, tortoise shell and
ambergris. Boat-building became an art and a skill that earned them the attention of other countries,
and a craft was developed that was unique to Maldives and yet accommodated useful features from
other ship-building lands. The sea-going vessels were versatile enough to be adapted to all necessary
conditions.
The purpose of this paper is to trace the tradition of Maldivian seafaring, up to the time of the arrival
of the Portuguese in the early sixteenth century. With this objective in mind, we shall be looking at
information from archaeological findings, oral traditions and historical records where these exist,
and also from present-day Maldivian writers. Relevant foreign notices studied include very early
records written by Amminanus Marcellinus, Ptolemy and an unknown Chinese author from the
Chinese T’ang Dynasty period. Also included in this paper is material from Chinese author Ma
Hwan who came to Maldives in 1414 with the fleet of Chinese Admiral Cheng Ho, and writings of
Persian and Arab authors Sulaiman, Abu Zaid, Masudi, Idrisi and some others whose records
contain relevant information on Maldives.
